The Legend of Zelda
by ASecretToEveryone
Summary: Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow. However, that parting need not last forever. Whether a parting be forever or for merely a short time... that is up to you. Multiple LoZ games formed into one timeline. No specific timeline was followed when writing this other than the events in the game.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** **This is MY version of the Legend of Zelda story. It's a bit of a compilation of most of the games, mostly following the storyline of Ocarina of Time with some details and events from other games mixed in. I did not follow a specific timeline when I wrote this, other than when the events take place in the game. If you're not into mixed timelines/games, don't read it. If you don't like the sound of this, don't read it. I don't want to hear how much you hate this idea, I want to hear the polite criticisms of those who WANT to READ this story and enjoy it. That is all. :)**

"Big Brother!"

"Big Brother, wake up!"

A mess of dirty blonde hair groaned under a large brown blanket.

"Big Brother!" Aryll called a third time, more sharply now, as she pounced onto her half-sleeping brother's back.

"What?" Link finally spoke, voice cracked with sleep, eyes squinted near shut.

"You _always_ sleep in! I told everyone I'd finally put an end to it." Aryll said, matter-of-factly. "It's time for you to get up."

The blonde mess rolled onto his back to face his sister, and couldn't help but pull a half-sleeping smile as her bright eyes, and perfect pink smile beamed down on him.

"Alright, alright." He sighed. "Lemme up."

She slipped off his bed and onto the floor, then headed for the open doorway, mid-morning sunlight illuminating her messy blonde braids.

"Oh, hi, Saria!" She beamed when she reached the door.

Link raised his eyebrows and turned his gaze towards the doorway as he tugged his boots on.

"Link! There you are." The green-haired girl waved from below the balcony.

"Hey, Saria." Link returned a grin before making his way down the ladder and to the ground. "What's up?"

"The Deku Tree wants to see you!"

Link's eyes widened in confusion. "What? Me? W-why?"

Saria shrugged, smile still spread across her face. "You'd better head that way."

"What? The GREAT DEKU TREE?" Aryll made her way to the ground next to her older brother. "What do you think he wants, Big Brother?"

Link laughed lightly. "I dunno, but I guess I'd better get to him. Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone, huh, Aryll?"

"Hey!" She whined as he ruffled her hair.

And with that, he headed for the tree.

When he reached the tunnel where the Great Deku Tree resided, he stopped for a moment, to take a breath. Collect himself a little.

It wasn't like he was afraid or anything, but the Deku Tree rarely spoke to them individually, normally assembling them in a group before all of the children in the Kokiri Forest if there was an announcement to be made.

"Hey! You!"

A sharp yell interrupted his thoughts, and he turned around to see Mido storming his way.

Link sighed. If he was prideful in anything, it was that he found himself to be quite a patient person. However, it seemed that _no one_ had patience for Mido.

"Just what do you think _you're_ doing?" He pried, leaning closer to Link's face than he would have liked.

Link sighed, again, recomposing himself before he said anything he shouldn't.

"Hello, Mido. I'm going to see the Deku Tree-"

" _Obviously,_ even a _rock_ could see _that,_ Link." He snapped before the other boy could barely finish his sentence. "I want to know _why_."

"Because he called for me."

Mido narrowed his eyes at Link and pressed his fists into his hips.

"Listen, Mido, I really don't have time for this." Link shrugged lightly as Mido opened his mouth to throw another jab. "I'll catch you later!"

He flashed a fake smile and headed into the tunnel, leaving Mido shouting a string of questions he really paid no mind to.

When he reached the Deku Tree he couldn't help but pause a moment to take in the surrounding area. It was always so calm and bright here, and it had a contagious lightening effect on those who entered.

"Link" the tree spoke with a calm, baritone of a voice. "Thank you for coming to see me today."

Link simply nodded once, unsure of what to say as he had never been directly addressed by the Deku Tree before, nor had he ever come to see him alone.

"There is someone I would like you to meet before I tell you what I have called you here today for."

As if on cue, a small blue fairy flitted towards Link, circling his head once before stopping right in front of his nose.

"Hello! Hey!" She chimed in a high-pitched voice.

"Link, this is Navi." The tree explained. "I have been saving her for you until it was time to tell you these things you are here for today."

 _My fairy?_ Link did not speak aloud but his eyebrows visibly raised themselves.

He had only heard stories of the Kokiri children receiving these small companions, and they only did so before they were allowed to leave the forest.

The Great Deku tree provided life to the whole forest, and it was where the children of the Kokiri lived. In the forest, time did not progress the same way it did in the rest of the world. Days were longer, and the children aged more slowly than normal humans.

Link, however, had always been bigger than the rest of the Kokiri, as he was not originally from the forest.

When Link was younger, his parents had gone missing in an accident he knew very little about. An older woman from their village on Outset Island had taken he and his sister to the forest to leave them in the care of the Deku Tree. The tree along with some other Kokiri had helped raise Link and Aryll and they had called the forest home for years now, starting and ending each day in a small treehouse home with two windows and two beds.

When the pair had first arrived, Link got picked on quite a bit growing up because he aged slightly more quickly than the other children, but he learned to get over it when he met Saria, because Saria told him that she was different, too. And she was.

No one knew who Saria's parents were, but the girl had been born with brilliant, grass green hair. No one else in the forest had ever been able to make such a claim.

Link and Saria became good friends and would often be found separated from most of the others in happy isolation, away from the occasional jabs that were thrown their way even as they matured.

"Link, Navi is here to be your guide."

"My guide?" Link gazed up at the great tree.

"Yes. Your guide," he repeated. "What I'm about to tell you has been a secret to most everyone for a long time now.

After a long while of sitting cross-legged in the warm grass, Link wasn't sure how to react.

The Great Deku tree had told him so much; of his parents, his Hylian lineage, his quest.

His fate.

The man from the desert.

The King of the Gerudo.

Everything.

It was all so much for a boy about 13 years of age to comprehend. But it was his destiny, as the tree had told him. To become a hero.

The Hero of Time.

"Do you understand, Link?"

Link snapped his head up, breaking away from his thoughts.

He looked down for a moment and then nodded at the Deku Tree.

"You must leave the forest. You must go and you must save Hyrule, save the _world_ , from this terrible fate."


	2. Chapter 2

As Link exited through the tunnel, Navi silently tingled behind him.

"Hey! Hey, Link! Hey!" Mido came stomping towards him once more.

"What did he say? Huh? What did he talk to you about?"

Link tried to just keep walking.

" _Hey, Link!"_ He shouted more loudly this time.

"Mido! Not now!" Link finally snapped back.

The silence that fell on his back as he walked away shot pangs of guilt through his stomach, but he was still trying to comprehend all that he had been told, and he didn't need Mido breathing down his neck the whole time.

 _The man from the desert.. King of the Gerudo.. the Master sword.. Princess Zelda.._

Link's mind raced with repeats of the words the Great Deku Tree had spoken to him.

 _All these things are legends_ , he had thought to himself. To him, for so long, they truly had been. The Hero of Time was a legend that had been passed down from long, long before Link was even conceived. The Master Sword, too. Princess Zelda, he knew was a real person. A young girl who lived in the castle of Hyrule Kingdom, which was apparently in danger, meaning she was, too. Then this man of the desert, the King of the Gerudo..

Ganondorf.

The other part of the legend was that Ganon was a name for a dark spirit that once attempted to rule the earth, but the Goddesses sent down a hero, the great Hero of Time, to defeat the spirit.

 _The evil spirit of Ganon has come forth once more and resides in this man from the desert, and it is your destiny, Link, to become the Hero of Time, as the Goddesses are not sending someone for us, but rather shaping someone we already have._

Link physically shook his head as he pondered these words. What were the odds?

He wearily climbed the ladder to his tree house, ready to go to bed and wake up to realize this was all a dream.

"WHOA!" Aryll's shrill voice broke the silence around him. "Is that a _fairy?!_ "

In all honesty, Link had all but forgotten about Navi, his new blue companion.

"Hello!" she chimed at his sister.

Her eyes gleamed as the small blue light floated around her head.

"What's her name? Where did you get her?" Aryll tugged at his sleeve.

"Uh, her name is Navi." Link replied as he slumped down onto his bed. "The Great Deku tree sent her to be my companion."

"Companion?" Aryll tilted her head sideways. "Like, you have to marry her?"

He straightened up instantly and he swear he heard a snort come from the tiny fairy.

"No, Aryll, she's like.. she's going to travel with me."

"Travel? Where are we going?"

He sighed, and the drop in his shoulders was met by a drop in his little sister's expression.

"I think it's just me, Aryll."

She climbed up on the bed beside him and clung to his arm.

"Where do you have to go?"

He told her about what the tree had said, how the legends were not legends, the stories were real, and his future journey to the inner city of Hyrule.

"You're going to come visit, right?"

"Of course," he patted her head. "I'm not just going to abandon you, silly."

She smiled and squeezed his arm.

No one asked Link anything at dinner, and Navi had chosen to stay behind to avoid any prodding at his tired mind, but Saria sat across from him with curious eyes.

After his evening chores, he returned home that night, still thinking about what the tree had said.

Protection. He said that Link needed protection. But where would he find it?

"Navi," he said vacantly as he watched Aryll run around with some younger Kokiri. He was sitting on the balcony of their home and he could hardly believe he was speaking to a fairy, _his_ fairy. "Where am I supposed to find anything to fight with? This protection the tree spoke about?"

Navi silently levitated above his shoulder, and then suddenly she chimed, bouncing up and down.

"Follow me!" and she took off.

He jumped over the railing and jogged after her, with no clue where she was heading.

She lead him up onto a small hill and they paused for a moment.

"The training grounds?" He asked to no one in particular.

She chimed and bounced again and in the fading light he saw a small tunnel which he hesitantly proceeded to crawl through. It was getting darker, and most of the children would be heading back inside, and he didn't want Aryll to worry. Still he continued forward.

When he made his way out, he saw he was in a small clearing with high hedges surrounding him. He wondered if anyone knew this was behind their training area that was really more of a playful obstacle course.

"Listen!" Navi chirped.

He stood completely still and he heard a soft rustling coming from his left. He turned just in time to see a large boulder roll towards him and he dove forward into the grass to dodge it.

"Follow!" Navi repeated.

She lead him through a short hedge maze and to a dead end which contained a small wooden chest on a sort of tree stump pedestal.

Link reluctantly moved towards it, slowly lifting the lid with both hands, to reveal a small sword with a decorated wooden handle.

He slowly pulled it out, realizing it was lighter than he expected.

He stood up and swung once.

 _I think I could get used to this,_ he nodded to himself. But what would he even need a sword for?

He still had no idea.

He made his way back through the tunnel and up the ladder of his house, lead by Navi's soft blue light.

He smiled when he walked in to find Aryll curled up in his bed, his blanket engulfing her, her hands clinging to his pillow. But then he realized he would be leaving her soon, and that he was sure this was her way of proactively coping.

He stripped down to his shorts and undershirt and gently crawled in bed beside his sister, trying his best not to disturb her.

She softly moaned a little and rolled over to face him, eyes blinking with sleep.

He gave her a gentle smile, which she returned as she moved closer to him, wrapping her skinny arms around his torso.

"I'll miss you, Big Brother." She whispered.

Her words brought tears to his eyes and he told himself to stop, to fight them back. If he wanted Aryll to be strong in his absence, he had to be strong while still in her presence.

"But it's okay," she yawned. "You're a hero."

And then silence fell over them as she fell back asleep, only her words hanging in the air above him.

 _You're a hero._

She was the courage he needed. If he did this for anyone, it would be her. He would make it through this and come back for Aryll.


	3. Chapter 3

Link got up early the next morning so he could leave without anyone there to question him. He left Aryll a short note, wrapped her in his blanket and kissed her on the head before he left, still remembering what she had said last night.

 _You're a hero._

He had gone to see the Great Deku Tree once more before leaving, and he had gifted him with a small wooden shield, as well as a green tunic and some thin chainmail which he was now clothed in.

His silent footsteps were the only sound around him, his skin a soft blue from the skies that had not yet been lit, and Navi floating over his shoulder.

His pace admittedly slowed as he reached the opening that lead to the bridge that would take him away from the forest, and into the open world of Hyrule.

"Link?" a voice softly called to him as his boot touched the first blank of the wooden bridge.

He quickly turned to see Saria standing behind him, hands behind her back, her green hair a soft turquoise color in the blue light of the morning.

"Saria," he said. "I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you, I just-"

She shook her head to cut him off. "I already know."

"You do?"

She nodded and laughed. "Haven't you noticed, Link? I'm just as different as you. People like us don't stay with the Kokiri forever."

He stepped closer to her. "So then.. Where will you go?"

She shrugged. "The Deku tree has not told me yet. But I can feel it.. This isn't my home."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and for a moment, there was nothing but silence between the two.

"Anyway," she smiled up at him. "I want you to take this."

She removed her hands from behind her back to reveal a small porcelain instrument, only slightly bigger than his hands.

"Your ocarina?"

She smiled wider. "I want you to remember me by it, Link."

"Saria," he began, but he couldn't find the words so he simply pulled her into a hug.

"You'd best get going," she said after a long moment. "People are going to be geting up soon."

He nodded.

"Saria," he tried, again.

She smiled knowingly. "I'll watch after Aryll for you."

He forced a smile and then turned and headed across the bridge before the tears hit his eyes, again.

After a short walk, he was out in the greater world of Hyrule.

He wasn't really sure where to go from the opening that lead to the Kokiri forest. He hadn't thought about that, yet.

He knew he needed to speak with the princess, but it wasn't like someone could just waltz into the castle.

 _Guess I'll head for the town square,_ he thought to himself.

He walked across Hyrule field for what seemed like forever, taking painful note of how everything seemed so distant from his location.

It was then that he passed by a small ranch, and for some reason he decided he would take a look.

When he entered the ranch, he noticed two buildings on either side of him; one looked like a stable, and the other looked more like someone's house. In front of him was a large pen with a metal gate, and it was full of horses, all different colors.

"Hello, boy!"

He jumped a little at the sound of a voice and suddenly noticed not only had he gotten up to the bars that made up the pen, but that there was a small red-haired girl standing not too far off brushing one of the smaller horses.

She giggled at his blank expression. "You can come in, silly boy. The gate is open."

He reluctantly swung the large gate open and shut behind him and stepped into the pen.

"What's your name?" the girl asked.

She was a very bubbly young girl, probably a little older than Aryll. She had brilliant orange-red hair that hung all the way down her back, and she was clothed in a white dress and a pair of brown boots that looked beat up, and a little too big for her.

"Link," he spoke confidently. "My name is Link."

"Link? That's a funny name." she giggled, again.

He frowned slightly; no one had ever really said anything about his name before.

"I'm Malon," she extended a freckled arm.

He shook it delicately, afraid all she was made of was skin and bones.

"Let me get you something to drink. You look exhausted." She gave him a once-over before patting the horse beside her once and heading out the gate.

He wasn't sure if he should follow or not, but standing in the horse pen he suddenly realized how exhausted he actually was from his walk.

Malik returned shortly with a glass jar full of white liquid.

"Here," she stuck her arm towards Link. "Special milk from our Lon Lon Ranch!"

"Thank you," he grabbed the jar from her hand.

She watched him for a moment, waiting for him to take a swig.

"Well, go on!"

He jumped slightly as if he just realized the jar was in his hand. He popped the cork out of the top and poured the contents into his mouth. The icy liquid felt incredible as it rolled down his dry throat, and he had to remind himself to stop to take a proper breath.

"Better?" Malon giggled when he finally opened his eyes.

He nodded. "Thanks, again. I think I should get going tho-"

He was interrupted by a large wet object sliding across his face.

He yelled and turned to see a small horse standing next to him.

Malon laughed. "She likes you! This is Epona."

Link raised his eyebrows at the brown animal before slowly placing his hand on her forehead.

She whinnied before licking him once more, the force of her excitement knocking him to the ground.

"Hey!" Malon pointed at a small brown object that fell from his bag. "You have an ocarina?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He picked up the porcelain instrument.

"Can I see it?"

He placed it in her hand before pushing himself up from the ground.

She fiddled around with it before playing a short, three-note tune.

Epona thrust her front legs into the air and whinnied excitedly once more.

"Wow," he laughed.

"Yeah, she really likes this tune." Malon smiled before handing Link his ocarina. "Anyway, I'll let you on your way, Link. But you always know where to find me!"

He waved at her as he headed back into the vast Hyrule Field, making his way towards the castle once more.

"Welcome to Hyrule," the guard by the drawbridge spoke without moving even his eyes toward Link.

He entered the town square, a bustling little marketplace with close-knit buildings and bursts of people everywhere.

It was so lively! There were people of all ages prancing around from store to store, sunshine gracing everyone's faces, and Link even spotted a few dogs chasing each other around on the cobblestone pavement.

He walked slowly, taking a look at his surroundings, but kept his distance from most of the commotion, and then he spotted the alleyway that lead to a large white monument of a building.

Hyrule Castle.

He headed down the alley and soon reached a gorgeous green field in front of the castle walls. He kept his distance, hiding behind a small cliff while he thought of a way to sneak around the handful of guards he had previously noticed.

Deciding he needed a better view, he tugged on some vines on the rocky wall next to him and he began to climb.

Link lay low on his stomach in the grass as he surveyed the area ahead, counting a total of eight or so guards up to the castle door itself.

After a moment more of scanning, he had a plan in his head.

 _If I can slip down beside this wall..._ He thought. _Sneak up that hill there.. Maybe I can find a way over that fence._

It was a risk but he put his plan into action, being as quick as possible, dodging the eyes of the Hyrule guards.

He made it up to a small ledge to the side of the castle doors, but if he ran behind them they'd surely notice him before he reached the doors and got inside. It was then that he remembered there didn't appear to be any guards to the back right side of the castle.

Link knew he would regret it but it seemed the only way he would be able to sneak past the guards was to go under the bridge, which of course required him to go through the trench.

He sighed, and then slipped into the water as silently as possible. Keeping as much of his body out of the water, but his head low, he snuck under the bridge and out of sight of the guards.

When he made his way out of the water, he took a moment to sit in the sun and wring out his wet pants and tunic so that he wouldn't be soaking wet should he actually make it to the princess.

He found a small tunnel he would be able to crawl through that seemed to lead to the castle's inner courtyard.

Upon making his way into the courtyard, Link was immediately greeted by the backs of two of the castle guards.

He quickly slipped behind the wall to his right and silently willed them to walk away. After a short moment that seemed like an eternity, they finally began to walk away, but he was sure that there would be more up ahead. He slipped around walls, behind hedges, surprising himself with how stealthy he seemed to be, never once drawing the attention of the guards.

Taking one last look behind him, he snuck around the brick wall into a small clearing within the castle walls. He took a minute to catch his breath and contemplate his next move, when he realized he was not alone.

"It's you."

He looked up to see a small blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in a pink and white dress, staring at him with wide eyes.

Princess Zelda.

"You're.. You're him!" She said as she slowly made her way towards him.

Link was unsure of what to say, still somewhat surprised by the fact that he had really made it into the castle and was standing before the princess.

 _Wait.. I'm standing before the PRINCESS._

It finally hit him and he began to lower himself onto one knee.

"No, none of that!" She waved her hands at him. "It's you! You're the hero!"

She was now face to face with him. "You _are_ the hero, right? The Hero of Time?"

Link began to speak but couldn't seem to make the words come out so he simply nodded.

"I knew you'd come." Zelda whispered. "I saw you in my dreams. Well, not you _exactly_ per se, but the Hero of Time, the one clothed in the green tunic, the one whose destiny is to save Hyrule!"

She rambled on and began to make her way back up the stone steps that lead to the small platform in the clearing, and Link slowly followed after, trying to decide if he was really doing this or if he had been dreaming ever since the Deku Tree told him of his fate.

"Anyway," the princess broke him from his thoughts. "What's your name, actually?"

"Link." He tried to sound as grown-up as much as a thirteen-year-old boy could.

She laughed. Why did everyone outside of the forest laugh when he told them his name?

"Come here, Link."

She grabbed his arm and tugged him over to the window where she was, and silently pointed.

When Link looked, there was a dark skinned man, with hair the color of fire, a smug look on his face.

"That's him," Zelda spoke quietly as if they were right next to him. "That's Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo."

Link silently recalled what the Deku Tree had said about a man from the desert, the ruler of the Gerudo. He had not called him by name but it didn't matter; if Zelda said that this man was him, then so be it.

Zelda turned and slumped to the ground underneath the window.

"He seems to kind when he speaks to my father, but he was in my dream, too. The man-"

"Man from the desert," Link finished in unison with her as he slid down to sit next to her. "The Great Deku tree, from the Kokiri forest, told me about him."

Zelda tilted her head to the side. "You look quite old for a Kokiri. I mean," she stuttered. "Not that you're old, but.."

Link laughed. "I was born in Hyrule, but I was raised in the forest." He explained. "I was born on Outset Island."

The princess' blue eyes glittered. "Really? I've _always_ wanted to visit Outset! The only water I've ever seen is in Lake Hylia, which is still nice, but I've heard so many things from my father about the ocean."

She spoke of it like it was some sort of fairytale land that was only spoke of but never seen.

"You can take me," she smiled at the young hero. "Once all of this is over."

Link felt his cheeks warm and he hoped it wasn't noticeable.

"Well," she said, suddenly jumping to her feet and dusting off her dress. "I think it's time for your journey to really begin, Hero of Time."

He liked the way she smiled when she spoke that title.

"Take this," she handed him a piece of paper. "This will ensure that you can get most anywhere you need to without the guards giving you trouble. Do you know about the three stones?"

"Um, only a little bit." Link admitted.

Zelda told him about the three stones, the Goron Ruby, the Kokiri Emerald, and the Zora Sapphire, all of which he would need to collect to begin his journey. She told him of the places he would need to visit - Death Mountain, the Zora's Domain, and the familiar Kokiri Forest - and that he would find the stones there.

"Return to me when you have them all, okay?"

He nodded.

"I know you're the one, Link." She took his hands in hers. "I know you were meant to be the Hero of Time."

Her eyes stared back into his giving him a funny feeling in his stomach and he wasn't sure if he should say anything, or what to do at all.

She smiled once more. "Impa will lead you out. I hate secrecy but the castle guards would tell my father if they saw you."

He nodded and turned to leave only to soon be greeted by a tall, very fit woman with silver hair and arms crossed over her chest. She had on a tight-fitting black and blue outfit and on it was a red symbol resembling an eye, that Link swore he'd seen before.

"I am Impa." She spoke with a serious tone and a deep voice. "I am of the Sheikah tribe, and I have served the royal family as Zelda's caretaker since she was born."

Link didn't know if he was more scared of her or the man he had just seen through the window moments ago with Zelda.

She waited a moment for him to speak, but he did not. He _could_ not.

"I will guide you out of the castle so the guards do not know of your presence."

She took him out a secret passageway that eventually lead to Hyrule Field.

When they exited the tunnel, she turned to him once more and he wondered if she could hear his heart beating like he could.

"You may have been told that you are the legendary Hero of Time, but titles must be earned. You must prove your courage and strength if you wish to be the true hope of Hyrule. Go to Kakariko Village, my home. There you will find the passage to Death Mountain. That is where you will find your first stone."

Link still couldn't will himself to speak, so he simply nodded.

"Do not let us down, boy of the Kokiri."

There was a bright flash of light, and then she was gone.

 _Man,_ he thought. _Sheikah really are just as mysterious as they're said to be._

As soon as she had told him that she was of the Sheikah tribe, he knew exactly why he recognized the symbol on her clothing. He had never met a Sheikah before but stories of their ninja-like tribe had been passed around the forest.

"Alright, Navi." The small blue fairy floated out from his bag. "Let's find Death Mountain."


	4. Chapter 4

When Link reached the village, he realized just how close Kakariko was to the Kokiri Forest.

Impa had told him that it would be potentially beneficial if he took a look around the village before heading up to the mountain's base, and he decided that getting more familiar with the area wouldn't be such a bad idea before venturing to a place called _Death Mountain_.

It was a quiet little town with close knit houses and a large windmill up on a hill behind them.

The soft sounds of chickens clucking and people laughing filled the air, and Link felt content for a moment.

He wandered around the town, no one really seeming to say anything to him, and then he found a small concrete archway behind the main area of the town.  
He followed the path until he found he was in a graveyard, for whom, he did not know.  
He wandered around until Navi popped out from behind him and flew over to the back of the graveyard where she bounced up and down over a tombstone that was larger than all the others, and sat on a slightly elevated and fenced off area.

"What is it?" Link asked as he made his way over the fence, to the small blue light.

She flew up and down again and he looked at the ground beneath her only to see a concrete slab in the ground with a golden marble triforce in it.

"The paper!" Navi chimed.

 _Paper… What does she mean?_ He thought.  
And then it hit him; the paper that Zelda had given him.

He dug it out and carefully unfolded it to reveal its contents.

 _To whom it may directly concern_

 _This is Link, and he is aiding me in time of need._

 _If Link needs to venture to an area that is otherwise restricted, please allow him with no questions asked._

 _Many thanks to you._

 _Princess Zelda of Hyrule_

After reading the letter, he had no idea why Navi had asked him to pull it out. He scanned over it once more before decided to flip to the backside, where he found his answer.

In the bottom right corner of the paper, it read:

 _The song of the Royal Family_

 _May this aid you in your quest, Hero of Time_

Beneath her handwriting was a scale with notes on it, and he recognized it from when Saria showed him how to play her ocarina.

Link dug into his small satchel and pulled out the small tan instrument, and using his memory of Saria's lessons, he began to awkwardly play the tune written on the paper.

It took him a minute, and a few pauses between glancing at the paper and playing, but he finally got it.

He played the song all the way through and for a moment afterwards, he thought nothing happened.

"Look out!" Navi yelled as the sky began to darken and thunder, and suddenly a lightning bolt came from the storm, sending Link flying backwards to get out of the way.

He slowly uncovered his eyes and saw that the tombstone was shattered, and beneath it was a hole that seemed to lead to an underground tunnel.

 _If I'm ever going to live up to my title, I guess I'll have to start here.._ He told himself, and then he slipped into the hole.

Link's boots made a soft click as they hit a small slab of concrete below the opening. He blinked a few times to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness around him, and he eventually made out a door across the room, placed above a stone platform.

He carefully stepped forward into the cave-like room, when he spotted a torch to his left. He looked around until he found a long stick and lit it with the fire from the small torch. He also wondered how the torch would stay lit for so long if no one had come down recently, but his curiosity was interrupted by a shadow quickly _whooshing_ past his head.

Link slowly came up from his duck, raising the torch out in front of him, only to see three pairs of glassy eyes staring back at him.

Three keese dropped from their perch on the cave's rocky ceiling, and flew towards him, this time causing him to throw his makeshift light as he dodged.

The bats made it clear that they wouldn't stop until something was done, so he drew his small sword and took a swing when they attacked a third time. To the young hero's surprise, it was a hit, and one of the three assailants now lay on the ground.

Link was never one to resort to violence, but then again, it wasn't like he ever needed to. If he was ever going to live up to his title, he needed to know when to defend himself, and not to run from a fight.

He vanquished the trio of foes, relit his stick, and made his way to the door where he lit two more torches before entering.

In the next room, the small flames that burned on the walls were a soft green, and a handful of mummified creatures moaned softly as they roamed in circles.

"Navi, what _are_ these?" Link mumbled, not sure if even she knew.

They moved rather slowly, if they moved at all, so he figured he could just walk passed them, but suddenly, a chill overtook his entire body and he found himself unable to move.

The creature did not have the same problem and it even seemed to be advancing more quickly than before.

"Redead!" Navi chimed frantically.

Link pushed against the paralysis and eventually pulled himself out of it, but the chill was slowly beginning to return as another 'redead' headed his way.

"Run!" Navi bounced up and down above his shoulder.

Fighting the gazes of the mummified beings, Link willed his legs to move as fast as they could towards the door at the other side of the room, pushing the stone door shut behind him once he was safe on the other side of it.

After he caught his breath, he began to take notice of the room he had just entered.

It appeared to be where the tomb this cave was said to hold was actually located. He slowly stepped up to the stone platform where he found a chest. He wasn't sure if it was really here for him or not, but he decided to open it either way, and when he did he pulled out a sturdy metal shield.

Link never had a need for weapons before now, including a shield, but it was obvious that this was work to be admired. It was cut from thick metal with a blue stain over the front of it, and a gold triforce in the center, which he took as his hint that it was placed here for him.

After navigating his way back through the tunnels, he climbed out of the hole and and back up to the graveyard. He ventured back to the village, and by now it was nighttime. Impa had said that he was welcome to her home should he find need, so he headed that way.

He wasn't sure who he expected to see, but Impa was not there. Instead, Link was greeted by a young couple who stayed there when Impa was away, and they politely showed him to the spare room. It was small, but it wasn't like he was used to anything fancy.

He laid his equipment on a small wooden bench as he sat down to take his boots off, trying to tell himself he wasn't as tired as he felt after only the first day. He was determined to be the hero people expected him to be, and he was going to find this courage he was said to have inside himself. He would do it for his sister Aryll, and the Great Deku tree, and Saria, and he would do it for Princess Zelda and all of Hyrule.

He would truly become the Hero of Time, even if it was the last thing he did.


End file.
